Meet Your Neighbors

Emanuel Gonzalez

Age: 20

Occupation: Sales and retail at Summit Canyon Mountaineering

Lives in: Carbondale (has lived in Aspen and Basalt)

What's your favorite thing about living here? "My favorite thing is going to have to be enjoying the outdoors, spending time in the mountains.

"Another thing I enjoy is how much talent there is with sports and everything. Most of the my friends are already sponsored and pro and already out of here."

What would you like to see change? "There's not much I would change, actually."

(after a long pause)

"It's almost like I've been having such a good time these days that life is perfect."

One thing that makes you get up in the morning: "I guess if I had to choose one, it would be enjoying coming to work and getting ahead in life."

How do you feel about summer rolling in? "I'm excited about summer, about how much money I can save, so I can go to college. And other than that, the sports I'm going to take that I don't already know and all the new tricks I'm going to learn for all the sports I already know."

William Adams

Age: 26

Occupation: Blockbuster employee

Lives in: Glenwood Springs (originally from here, a graduate of Parachute High School)

What's your favorite thing about living here? "The natural beauty that we are surrounded by. I mean, we have the river, the mountains. We have the hot springs, too, and you can go in there and soak away your trouble."

What would you like to see change? "Not having the streets rolled up at 10 o'clock."

One thing that makes you get up in the morning: "Well, life in general. Life is worth living. You can't spend all of it sleeping.

"It's like the first song in the 'Lion King': 'From the day we arrive on the planet, blinking, stepping into the sun, there's more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than can ever be done.'"

How do you feel about summer rolling in? "It's another season. I just came from Hawaii, where there's just two seasons: nice and rainy.

"Being here is like a breath of fresh air."

Aften Willcuts

Age: 23

Occupation: Tattoo artist

Lives in: Glenwood Springs (born in Santa Barbara)

What's your favorite thing about living here? "I would say probably my friends, my family, my boyfriend. It's where everyone I love lives."

What would you like to see change? "The traffic's bad, and the cost of living really sucks. I'd say the cost of living is a pretty big bummer."

One thing that makes you get up in the morning: "Probably to know that I have a great career and great friends and family. And I live in a safe place. I'm very lucky I get to live here."

How do you feel about summer rolling in? "I'm pretty excited. All my friends and I have bikes, so I'm excited about that. I wasn't into summer until recently. I just really like hanging out with my friends and family, and that's summer to me."

Tracy Steele

Age: 18

Occupation: Sales associate, part-time

Lives in: Glenwood Springs (originally from Steamboat Springs)

What's your favorite thing about living here? "I like the people."

What would you like to see change? "I've only been here, like, a year, so I don't know. But I can tell you it's better than Steamboat, though."

One thing that makes you get up in the morning: "My doggie. I have to wake up to walk him."

How do you feel about summer rolling in? "I'm excited. School's out. More time to goof around, play World of Warcraft. Yes!"